Spotlight on the 2023 Food Partner Challenge Project: Committing 4-H Dairy Farmers' Skills to a Larger Cause
In Sherburne County, Minnesota, the Otsego 4-H Club has been making a difference in their community through their dairy project, titled "Pledging Our 4-H Dairy Farming Hands to Larger Service." The club, which is part of the University of Minnesota's 4-H dairy project, is comprised of members who live on dairy farms.
The club's project was inspired by a simple idea from 4-H'ers and was recently awarded $500 in the 2023 Food Partner Challenge. The Otsego 4-H Club reached out to Community Aid of Elk River (CAER) to find out their biggest dairy product need, and CAER expressed a need for a healthy snack-sized item for their Kids Weekend CAER Package.
In response, the Otsego 4-H Club worked with Ellsworth Creamery to purchase and donate snack-sized cheese curd packages. Ellsworth Creamery generously donated an additional 70 pounds of cheese to the club's project, bringing the total donation to 39 cases of cheese curd, approximately 818 pounds.
The Otsego 4-H Club felt a sense of satisfaction from their donation, not just for the quantity of cheese they were able to provide, but also for the opportunity to serve their community. The project taught them valuable skills in planning, communication, and teamwork.
"Pledging Our 4-H Dairy Farming Hands to Larger Service" is a testament to the Otsego 4-H Club's commitment to making a difference in their community. Their actions serve as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the power of youth-led initiatives and the importance of giving back.
[1] World Food Championships: www.worldfoodchampionships.com
[2] Food Charlatan Cooking Challenges: www.foodcharlatan.com
[4] Real Food Challenge: www.realfoodchallenge.org
- The Otsego 4-H Club's successful dairy project, "Pledging Our 4-H Dairy Farming Hands to Larger Service," fostered an interest in food-and-drink initiatives, as they collaborated with Ellsworth Creamery to donate cheese curds.
- In addition to their dairy project, the Otsego 4-H Club's community service extends to home-and-garden, as they strive to improve the lives of others, much like organizations such as World Food Championships, Food Charlatan Cooking Challenges, and Real Food Challenge.
